Written Answers Wednesday 15 March 2006

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been made of the potential impact on the local economy of the highlands and islands if public service obligations incorporating reduced fares were introduced on flights to the highlands and islands from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness

Tavish Scott: A study carried out on behalf of HITRANS by the transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave in June 2004 estimated that the Net Present Value (NPV) over a 30-year period of the economic benefits of a blanket imposition of Public Service Obligations (PSOs) across air routes in the Highlands and Islands, together with HITRANS’ suggested enhancement for the air services, was £400 million (1998 prices).

Airports

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22931 by Tavish Scott on 2 March 2006, whether it will give consideration to establishing public transport links by one single mode of transport between (a) Glasgow International and Edinburgh Airports, (b) Glasgow International and Glasgow Prestwick Airports and (c) Glasgow Prestwick and Edinburgh Airports.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no current plan to consider establishing single mode public transport links between these airports.

Bridges

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken into the origins of traffic crossing the Forth Road Bridge from Fife and where such studies have been published.

Tavish Scott: Information on the origins of traffic crossing the Forth Road Bridge from Fife is contained in the Tolled Bridges Review reports. The Phase One and Phase Two reports are available on the Scottish Executive website. There are other recent external studies that we are aware of, in particular the FETA (Forth Estuary Transport Authority) Local Transport Strategy and the SITCoS (SESTRAN Integrated Transport Corridor Study): Queensferry Cross Forth Study.

Bridges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has at any time directed the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to develop proposals for a road user charging scheme.

Tavish Scott: No. However, it was anticipated that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority would develop proposals for a road user charging scheme as part of its approach to managing congestion on the Forth Road Bridge.

Bridges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has at any time recommended to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority that it should develop proposals for a road user charging scheme.

Tavish Scott: No. However, it was anticipated that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority would develop proposals for a road user charging scheme as part of its approach to managing congestion on the Forth Road Bridge.

Bridges

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to install new toll booths on the Forth Road Bridge at a cost of £5 million was taken before the completion of the Tolled Bridges Review.

Tavish Scott: Yes. Responsibility for the toll plaza, booths and systems is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority. Works started on the upgrade in July 2005.

Bridges

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 1 March 2006 ( Official Report c. 23596), in what ways extra revenue raised by bridge tolls is being invested in local transport improvements.

Tavish Scott: Toll revenues at the Tay Road Bridge cover essential maintenance and operational costs, and cover debt servicing costs. There is no additional revenue for other transport improvements.

  At the Forth Road Bridge, decisions on projects that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) might fund are a matter for FETA. The authority has, or is already contributing to a number of projects, including the upgrading of the A8000; extension of the Ferry Toll Park and Ride facility on the north side of the bridge; a feasibility study into a cross Forth commuter ferry service, and construction of a new link road to Rosyth ferry port.

Bridges

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale was for giving responsibility to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to manage the Forth Road Bridge, given that there already existed an arrangement whereby motorways and trunk roads were the Executive's responsibility and local roads were local authorities' responsibility.

Tavish Scott: The Forth Estuary Transport Authority is the successor body to the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board, which was originally set up under private legislation to manage the construction and operation of the bridge. The new authority was created with the ability to fund road and public transport improvements which would improve travel across the Forth.

Bridges

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forth and Tay road bridges are classified as either motorway or trunk roads or local roads or whether they form a different category of road.

Tavish Scott: The Forth and Tay Road Bridges are part of the local road network.

Bridges

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the capital costs of constructing the Erskine Bridge were recouped by the revenue from tolls on the bridge.

Tavish Scott: The costs of constructing the Erskine Bridge were met from the then Scottish Office Transport programme. Tolling revenue has not been offset against the construction costs, but has funded the on-going maintenance, management and operation of the bridge.

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can guarantee that, when the new concessionary travel scheme comes into effect on 1 April 2006, senior citizens using the scheme will be treated in the same way as paying ticket holders.

Tavish Scott: Guidance on the operation of the Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people makes it clear that no discrimination should be made between concessionary card holders and any other passenger.

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether senior citizens travelling using the concessionary travel scheme will be guaranteed a return ticket should they request one.

Tavish Scott: No. The Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people entitles card holders to a free single journey on an eligible service.

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that, when the new concessionary travel scheme comes into effect on 1 April 2006, senior citizens will at all times be guaranteed a seat on a "first come, first served" basis and no differentiation will be made between them and paying customers.

Tavish Scott: Guidance on the operation of the Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people makes it clear that no discrimination should be made between concessionary card holders and any other passenger and that all passengers without reservations should be treated on a "first come, first served" basis. Where an optional seat reservation system is used, the same principle applies.

Crime

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) incidents of, (b) prosecutions for and (c) convictions for assaults involving the use of glass within premises with an entertainment licence in Glasgow there were in each year since 1998.

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on the number of incidents, prosecutions and convictions relating to assaults involving the use of glass within premises with an entertainment licence are not collected centrally. Research by Strathclyde Police indicates that around 13 per cent of serious assaults recorded involved a bottle or glass.

Crime

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) incidents of, b) prosecutions for and c) convictions for assaults involving the use of glass within premises with a public house licence in Glasgow there were in each year since 1998.

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on the number of incidents, prosecutions and convictions relating to assaults involving the use of glass within premises with a public house licence are not collected centrally. Research by Strathclyde Police indicates that around 13 per cent of serious assaults recorded involved a bottle or glass.

Crime

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) incidents of, (b) prosecutions for and (c) convictions for assaults involving the use of knives or sharpened objects within premises with an entertainment licence in Glasgow there were in each year since 1998.

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on the number of incidents, prosecutions and convictions relating to assaults involving the use of knives or sharpened objects within premises with an entertainment licence are not collected centrally.

Crime

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) incidents of, (b) prosecutions for and (c) convictions for assaults involving the use of knives or sharpened objects within premises with a public house licence in Glasgow there were in each year since 1998.

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics on the number of incidents, prosecutions and convictions relating to assaults involving the use of knives or sharpened objects within premises with a public house licence are not collected centrally.

Dentistry

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Moray do not have NHS dental services and, of these, how many are aged 60 or over.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

  Information on NHS dental registration is available at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=990&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

Drug Misuse

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have been recorded as a result of drug overdose or misuse in each of the last five years.

George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table.

  Deaths Resulting from Drug Overdose or Misuse, Scotland

  

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


495
551
566
493
546



  The figures given in the table include all deaths coded to drug misuse together with accidental deaths, suicides, assaults, and events of undetermined intent caused by drug overdose. Each year the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) publishes a short paper entitled Drug-Related Deaths in Scotland. This paper uses a narrower definition of drug-related deaths which includes all deaths coded to drug misuse together with other deaths involving drugs listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The latest issue of this paper, which includes further information on the definition used, may be found on the GROS website using the following link: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/library/drug-related-deaths/04drug-related-deaths.html.

Drug Misuse

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether deaths recorded as a result of drug overdose or misuse are legally registered as drug-related.

George Lyon: The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) classifies all deaths registered in Scotland using the Tenth Revision of the World Health Organisation’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD10). This classification clearly identifies all deaths resulting from drug overdose or misuse.

  Each year GROS publishes a short paper entitled Drug-Related Deaths in Scotland. This paper uses an agreed UK definition of drug-related deaths which includes all deaths coded to drug misuse together with other deaths involving drugs listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The latest issue of this paper, which includes further information on the definition used, may be found on the GROS website using the following link: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/library/drug-related-deaths/04drug-related-deaths.html.

Drug Misuse

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug-related deaths in the last five years have been recorded as culpable homicide.

Hugh Henry: The available information is given in the table.

  Victims in Homicide Cases Currently1 Recorded as Culpable Homicide2:

  Number Recorded as Being on Drugs, 2000-01 to 2004-05

  

Year
Number


2000-01
6


2001-02
11


2002-03
15


2003-04
19


2004-05
12



  Notes:

  1. As at November 2005.

  2. Includes homicide cases recorded by the police where the victim was recorded as being on drugs, and drug-related cases which the police did not initially record as homicide, e.g. suspected drugs overdose, but which the procurator fiscal subsequently determined a charge of culpable homicide was appropriate.

Drug Misuse

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the recording of certain drugs-related deaths to culpable homicide.

Hugh Henry: There are no plans to change the recording of drug-related deaths to culpable homicide. The investigation and charging of individuals connected to a drugs-related death is a matter for the police and the Procurator Fiscal Service.

G8 Summit

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21717, S2W-21718 and S2W-22016 by Cathy Jamieson and Mr Tom McCabe on 19 January, 20 January and 31 January 2006 respectively, what information it has on the total cost of the accommodation and meals provided to the 7,896 English and Welsh police officers deployed in Scotland in relation to policing the G8 summit and related events; whether this cost is additional to the £21,495 million spent on mutual aid to English and Welsh forces, and who met these costs.

Mr Tom McCabe: The total cost for accommodation and catering for the G8 summit was £4.227 million. However, it is not possible to extract the costs for English and Welsh police officers from this total. The cost for accommodation and catering is included in the £21.495 million.

Health

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients who are resident in Scotland have received medical treatment abroad under the E112 scheme broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) type of treatment and (c) the country in which treatment was received, in each year since 1999.

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average cost of treatment is, per patient, for residents in Scotland who receive medical treatment abroad under the E112 scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held by the Executive. E112 referrals are made on an ad hoc basis by NHS boards, which must agree to meet the costs, and allow individual named patients to be treated in hospitals operating within the state health insurance schemes of other member states of the European Economic Area. Referrals are usually for some form of treatment which is not available in the UK, and are approved by the Department of Health, which arranges for appropriate reimbursement of the costs to the hospital supplying the treatment.

Health

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients resident outwith Scotland have received treatment in Scotland under the E112 scheme broken down by (a) the hospital in which the treatment was received, (b) type of treatment received and (c) the country of residency of the patient, in each year from 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held by the Executive. E112 referrals to Scottish hospitals would be made on an ad hoc basis by a health authority operating within the state health insurance scheme of another member state of the European Economic Area. The referring health authority would meet the costs. Referrals are of individual named patients and are usually for some form of treatment which is not available in the other member state. The reimbursement of costs will be made to the Scottish hospital by the other member state’s health department through the Department of Health.

Housing

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the national average monthly rent is for a local authority-owned two-apartment house.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many council houses have lain vacant and available for rent in each local authority area in each year since 1995.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows numbers of vacant local authority dwellings available to let by local authority area, 1996 to 2005. Data for current local authorities is only available for 1996 onwards. The figures exclude dwellings which are vacant to be demolished, refurbished or which are to be used as temporary accommodation for the homeless.

  Vacants (Available for Let) as at 31 March by Local Authority Area; 1996 to 2005

  

Local Authority Areas
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Scotland
9,831
9,721
10,336
12,821
14,666
13,453
12,229
10,312
8,756
8,993


Aberdeen City
649
808
768
878
854
1,298
1,197
1,252
1,309
1,606


Aberdeenshire
18
59
53
83
100
180
213
273
224
186


Angus
33
23
67
67
170
219
279
272
194
97


Argyll and Bute
68
48
70
53
102
125
67
277
69
82


Clackmannanshire
68
57
88
84
103
94
132
204
190
186


Dumfries and Galloway
86
86
109
131
147
150
157
116
0
0


Dundee City
1,139
731
957
853
501
519
406
414
511
282


East Ayrshire
468
330
390
459
642
638
637
650
575
348


East Dunbartonshire
36
41
68
56
20
36
23
39
36
17


East Lothian
83
117
77
123
49
68
75
86
50
72


East Renfrewshire
124
79
68
121
167
243
89
75
89
121


Edinburgh
1,638
1,623
1,210
864
780
429
552
645
585
413


Eilean Siar
186
591
55
56
56
38
29
38
24
17


Falkirk
474
470
170
141
182
314
363
363
248
145


Fife
1,247
1,253
833
814
837
945
788
960
1,058
989


Glasgow City
150
152
1,255
2,960
3,684
2,073
1,743
0
0
0


Highland
421
402
119
171
266
299
356
250
104
190


Inverclyde
49
35
655
509
694
618
434
305
516
672


Midlothian
26
17
58
42
37
48
32
51
39
26


Moray
303
184
19
20
20
31
42
28
24
22


North Ayrshire
600
659
288
288
226
352
133
107
122
73


North Lanarkshire
25
9
668
646
830
606
643
639
637
608


Orkney
120
165
17
18
13
6
8
13
9
7


Perth and Kinross
451
484
99
137
201
247
278
333
245
0


Renfrewshire
146
138
505
740
1,152
1,348
924
759
333
1,321


Scottish Borders
93
40
177
255
282
358
353
0
0
0


Shetland
0
0
102
114
119
144
102
122
111
76


South Ayrshire
367
409
137
148
240
239
303
305
220
232


South Lanarkshire
148
0
574
662
845
802
815
595
426
324


Stirling
497
533
50
139
90
93
88
134
140
186


West Dunbartonshire
79
50
592
507
724
686
859
888
621
667


West Lothian
39
47
38
41
16
30
28
82
29
28


Scottish Homes
0
81
0
641
517
177
81
37
18
0



  Source: Scottish Executive Development Department; Stock 2 return.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of rent was for council housing in each local authority area in each year since 1995.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows average weekly rents for local authority dwellings between 1996-97 and 2004-05. Data for current local authority areas is only available from 1996-97 onwards.

  Average Weekly Rents by Local Authority; 1996-97 to 2005-06

  

Local Authority Area
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Scotland
31.11
33.6
35.4
36.43
38.05
38.88
40.43
40.96
42.64


Aberdeen City 
25.83
27.75
33.10
32.89
34.77
36.48
38.55
39.90
42.67


Aberdeenshire 
28.12
29.75
30.63
31.58
32.62
34.45
36.10
38.03
40.31


Angus 
23.50
25.14
27.04
28.42
30.58
33.60
34.18
35.72
37.33


Argyll and Bute 
34.00
35.05
36.58
36.49
37.70
39.39
41.10
42.57
44.20


Clackmannanshire 
27.99
29.48
30.74
31.78
32.16
34.71
37.74
38.61
40.19


Dumfries and Galloway 
35.67
36.79
32.77
34.29
35.30
40.41
39.05
na
na


Dundee City
32.60
32.62
38.03
38.65
39.52
37.14
42.16
43.42
44.72


East Ayrshire
34.99
36.42
28.96
30.43
34.24
35.48
36.89
38.24
41.91


East Dunbartonshire
24.95
26.95
32.78
34.39
36.65
38.09
39.95
42.58
44.79


East Lothian 
28.54
29.76
30.25
31.80
32.73
34.19
35.53
36.79
36.70


East Renfrewshire 
26.58
28.87
31.12
32.50
34.84
35.83
39.16
40.71
42.74


Edinburgh, City of
26.92
28.64
45.65
45.65
46.02
45.91
47.24
48.23
49.44


Eilean Siar
41.34
45.35
37.40
38.05
39.27
41.38
42.95
45.61
45.61


Falkirk 
26.09
29.44
30.90
32.03
35.40
37.01
39.61
41.10
42.68


Fife 
28.29
30.11
31.13
32.45
34.04
34.93
37.09
38.94
41.44


Glasgow City 
36.94
40.23
42.63
43.96
45.71
47.33
48.60
na
na


Highland 
35.97
38.37
40.19
41.11
42.46
43.11
43.98
45.82
47.54


Inverclyde 
31.09
34.58
38.54
40.06
42.22
44.51
47.08
48.44
54.17


Midlothian
22.33
25.20
27.25
27.14
28.62
31.29
31.00
31.57
33.77


Moray 
27.10
27.75
29.00
29.27
30.19
31.12
32.06
33.18
34.34


North Ayrshire
28.86
30.22
31.10
31.10
32.79
33.26
35.02
36.77
38.60


North Lanarkshire 
29.54
31.14
33.11
35.43
37.16
38.78
39.29
40.86
42.44


Orkney Islands 
32.92
33.20
32.85
34.98
34.54
36.05
37.74
38.70
40.11


Perth and Kinross 
27.12
28.19
29.81
30.71
31.90
33.27
33.59
35.59
37.59


Renfrewshire 
28.90
32.45
34.46
35.86
38.60
38.66
41.37
42.41
44.82


Scottish Borders 
27.97
29.57
30.97
30.99
33.53
34.87
37.56
na
na


Shetland Islands 
34.29
35.94
40.25
44.41
45.95
45.97
48.30
49.51
50.75


South Ayrshire 
29.05
31.69
32.89
33.38
34.70
36.16
37.37
38.38
39.84


South Lanarkshire 
31.59
35.47
37.24
38.50
39.40
40.18
41.15
41.15
43.57


Stirling 
32.83
34.05
33.46
35.11
36.42
37.34
38.26
42.41
42.40


West Dunbartonshire
32.71
32.93
33.23
34.24
35.74
37.44
38.53
39.98
42.18


West Lothian 
28.31
32.07
32.96
34.39
37.32
38.62
43.47
45.12
46.70



  Source: Scottish Executive Development Department, HRA returns.

  Note: Due to housing stock transfer, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders are not included for 2003-04 onwards.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new private homes have been built in each local authority area in each year since 1995.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the numbers of new private sector dwellings completed, broken down by local authority areas for years 1995 to 2004.

  New Dwellings Completed; Private Sector by Local Authority Area; 1995 to 2004

  

Local Authority Area
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Scotland
18,310
18,092
17,839
18,326
19,398
18,033
17,720
18,762
19,698
21,359


Aberdeen City
944
720
1,069
731
777
795
388
451
501
724


Aberdeenshire
1,159
619
652
1,132
1,179
988
1,201
1,148
1,270
1,633


Angus
443
326
233
213
252
254
308
360
316
365


Argyll and Bute
213
293
85
132
114
98
175
169
238
276


Clackmannanshire
108
146
122
60
122
128
160
206
332
401


Dumfries and Galloway
370
430
375
231
314
300
362
305
530
618


Dundee City
256
280
393
432
320
445
229
397
647
326


East Ayrshire
208
376
385
469
248
471
400
321
221
239


East Dunbartonshire
414
234
187
312
141
192
77
79
143
191


East Lothian
424
379
478
361
285
218
451
443
288
288


East Renfrewshire
294
296
276
402
431
345
204
270
114
83


Edinburgh City of
1,694
1,935
1,319
2,562
2,434
1,142
1,953
1,164
1,378
2,463


Eilean Siar
117
90
101
87
57
59
48
97
92
81


Falkirk
525
575
722
631
478
598
757
724
1,085
929


Fife
962
778
1,157
1,041
1,620
1,259
1,094
1,619
1,714
1,587


Glasgow City
1,698
2,360
1,540
1,338
2,209
2,207
2,115
2,146
1,592
2,572


Highland1
1,063
825
866
742
1,228
749
520
735
791
727


Inverclyde
103
328
211
210
195
172
164
244
222
246


Midlothian
190
256
339
232
288
221
167
115
165
82


Moray
572
460
340
117
200
290
298
447
324
267


North Ayrshire
355
428
397
425
319
330
375
379
328
492


North Lanarkshire
1,586
1,363
1,720
1,640
1,868
1,658
1,145
1,356
1,261
1,504


Orkney
0
0
5
35
25
31
49
77
62
51


Perth and Kinross
577
386
702
670
348
438
520
779
895
847


Renfrewshire
812
853
750
779
495
539
400
422
472
504


Scottish Borders The
211
475
269
251
214
466
484
727
684
439


Shetland
95
96
69
122
48
210
66
78
61
79


South Ayrshire
274
337
421
375
362
278
341
206
324
353


South Lanarkshire
1,088
644
974
1,165
1,272
1,152
1,294
1,370
2,012
1,659


Stirling
337
499
453
313
352
366
337
511
286
123


West Dunbartonshire
332
204
236
78
99
299
421
198
202
194


West Lothian
887
1,101
993
1,038
1,104
1,335
1,217
1,219
1,148
1,016



  Source: New Build returns by local authorities to the Scottish Executive Development Department: Analytical Services Division (Housing Statistics), housing association data provided by Communities Scotland.

  Note: 1. Includes estimates for Highland for 2004 due to outstanding returns.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to any housing association wishing to construct new homes for social rent which the association will directly manage.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
Communities Scotland provides Housing Association Grant to housing associations to provide and subsequently manage housing for social rent. Grant support in the approved programme for 2005-06 amounts to £285.962 million.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to any house-building firm that wishes to construct new homes for private sale.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
Communities Scotland provides grant support to private developers to provide affordable housing for sale. Grant support in the approved programme for 2005-06 amounts to £7.663 million.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what areas it has identified as having the most acute shortage of affordable housing and what plans it has to remedy this.

Malcolm Chisholm: Our 2005 Housing Policy Statement set out the comprehensive range of actions that we are taking to improve housing supply and affordability in the market and to increase provision of affordable housing. The policy statement built upon the findings of a wide ranging review of housing supply and affordability in Scotland. Our review revealed a very mixed picture, with large parts of the country having a net surplus of affordable housing (most notably in the Greater Glasgow area), while elsewhere there was a sizeable net shortfall (most notably in Edinburgh and the Lothians). Even within local authority areas there are geographical imbalances and the pattern of shortage and surplus is extremely complex. We are continuing to improve our evidence base and have commissioned Heriot-Watt University to update their affordability model for us to inform future policy. The update will be available later this year.

  In addition to a significant increase in investment in affordable housing, the actions set out in our policy statement include planning reform, revised planning advice on affordable housing, a shared equity home ownership scheme and a commitment to address infrastructure constraints. We continue to explore further measures that might ease affordability difficulties and on 7 March I announced my intention to chair a joint planning and housing forum involving local authorities which will seek to identify and resolve obstacles in the most pressured areas. Local authorities too have an important strategic role to play in the delivery of affordable housing, informed by soundly-based Local Housing Strategies.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage local authorities to transfer the entirety of the socially rented housing stock that they presently manage to the management of a housing association.

Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions on the future ownership and management of council housing are for councils themselves and their tenants. Councils are required to ensure that their houses will meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015. Transfer is one means of accessing substantial new housing investment to improve the stock whilst keeping rents affordable. Councils choosing to develop a transfer proposal can apply for financial assistance for this purpose through the Community Ownership Programme.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its rationale is for encouraging local authorities such as the City of Glasgow and Scottish Borders to transfer the socially rented housing stock they manage to the management of a housing association.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the 1998-99 and 1999-2002 New Housing Partnerships Initiatives, funding was made available to councils to assess the condition of their housing stock and the cost of bringing it up to modern day standards and maintaining it in good condition over the longer term. As a result a number of councils, including the City of Glasgow and the Scottish Borders, concluded that they could not deliver the investment required and keep rents affordable and that transfer to community ownership offered the best way forward.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of debt each local authority has incurred in respect of the construction of council housing in each year since 1980.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive collects information on total housing debt incurred by local authorities. Total debt is made up of historic debt, plus any new debt associated with the construction or maintenance of local authority housing. Information about total housing debt is contained in the Executive’s annual Housing Statistical Bulletins, Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure .

Justice

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been proceeded against in the courts for offences in relation to the Terrorism Act 2000 and, of these, how many have been convicted and what the range of punishments imposed by the courts has been.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table. The court proceedings statistics for 2004-05 are planned for publication in spring 2006.

  Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Offences Under the Terrorism Act 20001, 2000-03

  

 
Number


Total proceeded against
31


Total with charge proved of which given:
27


Custodial sentence
10


Monetary penalty
12


Other sentence
5



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it contributed to the National Criminal Intelligence Service in 2004-05; what the contribution was spent on, and, in particular, whether the contribution funded permanently staffed immigration posts at Scottish ports, harbours and airports and, if so, how many.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive contributed £5,496,000 to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) in 2004-05.

  NCIS has a remit to provide leadership and excellence in criminal intelligence to combat serious organised crime. It provides a range of Co-ordination services to support multi-agency law enforcement operations, including the collection, analysis and dissemination of criminal intelligence. Full details of its aims, functions and outputs can be found in its Annual Report for 2004-05 at: http://www.ncis.co.uk/downloads/NCISAnnualRep2005.pdf.

  The NCIS office in Scotland is co-located with the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency in Paisley, and is involved in mapping out criminality in Scotland, identifying key threats and establishing links to UK and overseas organised crime groups. The contribution made by the Scottish Executive helps fund this office and ensures that law enforcement in Scotland has access to all the services provided by NCIS, both locally and at a national and international level, such as NCIS Overseas Liaison Officers and enquiries through Europol and Interpol.

  NCIS do not fund any permanently staffed immigration posts. This function is provided by the UK Immigration Service.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor General offered advice to the Cabinet or individual ministers over the Shirley McKie case and, if so, what that advice was.

Colin Boyd QC: By long-standing convention, the Scottish Executive does not disclose the fact or content of Opinions or advice given by the Law Officers to Ministers. This convention was recognised by Parliament in the enactment of section 29 (1) (c) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Justice

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition of culpable homicide is within Scots Law.

Cathy Jamieson: Under the existing common law, an individual can be found guilty of the crime of culpable homicide in a variety of circumstances and, consequently, there is no single, all-encompassing definition of this crime. However, generally speaking, there are two forms of culpable homicide: involuntary culpable homicide and voluntary culpable homicide.

  Involuntary culpable homicide can occur where an unintended death occurs either as a result of a criminal act (such as an assault), or as a result of culpable negligence. Voluntary culpable homicide applies to cases where death is caused by an intentional or wickedly reckless act but there are certain mitigating factors present which result in the offence being culpable homicide rather than murder.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21753 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006, why it does not consider it appropriate to state an opinion on claims made by Senator Marty, given the possible implications of some of his claims for the administration of law and justice.

Cathy Jamieson: Senator Marty’s inquiry is on-going. The Scottish Executive will contribute as required to any UK response to his report, once the report is published in full.

Livestock

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications for registration of cattle passports are recorded by date of dispatch by the applicant, postal receipt by the British Cattle Movement Service or date of processing.

Ross Finnie: Cattle passport applications are recorded by date of postal receipt by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS).

Livestock

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about postal delays in relation to cattle passport applications in different parts of the country and the impact which such delays may have on the late delivery of such applications to the British Cattle Movement Service.

Ross Finnie: The information the Scottish Executive has about postal delays affecting cattle passport applications relates to individual appeals received by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) from farmers whose applications are late. This information shows that there is no geographical pattern which explains the length of time a postal application takes to reach BCMS from different parts of the country. However, where it can be proved that a postal delay has occurred in delivering the application to the BCMS the passport will be issued on appeal.

Livestock

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the British Cattle Movement Service, in accepting applications for cattle passports, to retain on file both the application and envelope which carries the date of posting of the application.

Ross Finnie: The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) receives approximately 20 million notifications per year of which three million are birth notifications. Due to this volume and the automated scanning processes that the BCMS use to deal with birth applications it would be very difficult to retain both the application and the envelope. Therefore there are no current plans to ask the BCMS to change their processes.

Malnutrition

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases malnutrition was described on the death certificate as a cause of death in each year since 1999, broken down by age group.

George Lyon: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19956 on 17 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Boards

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any conditions placed on the award of £2.7 million to NHS Lanarkshire in 2002 for the upgrade of the accident and emergency department at Monklands Hospital.

Lewis Macdonald: The £2.7 million award was given to Lanarkshire Acute Hospital NHS Trust from the Capital Modernisation Fund, which was a centrally based initiative. MEL (1999)75 which issued on 7 October 1999 invited NHS trusts to submit proposals for the re-design of their Accident and Emergency Services, to improve the quality of service and to address issues of accessibility. The MEL set out the criteria which the successful proposals should address and stated that only those proposals which successfully met the criteria would receive funding. The criteria were:

  
1. Funding would only be available for the capital costs and trusts and health boards had to agree to meet consequent revenue effects;
  2. Bids had to be consistent with the recommendations for the development of emergency services outlined in the Acute Services Review, and with local strategies for the management of emergencies;
  3. An inter-relationship between NHS Direct pilots, telemedicine and accident and emergency investments were welcomed, although developments had to be flexible enough to cope with the different time frames;
  4. Proposals had to address the redesign agenda set out in the White Paper "Designed to Care" and define new ways of working and caring for patients, and
  5. Successful proposals had to outline the opportunities for joint working between primary care, accident and emergency and other secondary care services.

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all current board members of NHS Greater Glasgow showing (a) occupation, (b) place of employment, (c) period of tenure of office and (d) remuneration and how many members were appointed to represent the interests of (i) patients, (ii) local communities within the board’s catchment area and (iii) medical and ancillary staff.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on NHS board membership is provided on the Scottish Public Bodies Directory at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory .

  Board membership comprises three discrete categories; The Chair and Non-Executive members; Stakeholder members (Local Authority Councillors, Chair of the Area Partnership Forum and Chair of the Area Clinical Forum), and Executive members (Chief Executive and Director of Finance etc).

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a date has been set for the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde and the establishment of an NHS board for the Greater Glasgow area and those catchment areas that are within the sphere of NHS Argyll and Clyde.

Mr Andy Kerr: A date has been set. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 32 – The National Health Service (Constitution of Health Boards) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2006 formally dissolves NHS Argyll and Clyde from 1 April, 2006. A further instrument, Scottish Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 33 – The National Health Service (Variation of the Areas of Greater Glasgow and Highland Health Boards) (Scotland) Order 2006 lays out the formal steps necessary to transfer the responsibilities, staff, assets and other resources of NHS Argyll and Clyde Health Board to NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Highland.

  The effect of these Orders is that from 1 April 2006, health services in the Argyll and Bute local authority area will become the responsibility of NHS Highland, while services in the local authority areas of Inverclyde, Renfrew, and those parts of East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire not already within NHS Greater Glasgow, will become the responsibility of NHS Greater Glasgow.

  NHS Greater Glasgow has recently consulted on changing its name to reflect its extended boundaries and I understand that from the 1 April, NHS Greater Glasgow will be commonly known as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all current board members of NHS Argyll and Clyde showing (a) occupation, (b) place of employment, (c) period of tenure of office and (d) remuneration and how many members were appointed to represent the interests of (i) patients, (ii) local communities within the board’s catchment area and (iii) medical and ancillary staff.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on NHS board membership is provided on the Scottish Public Bodies Directory at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory .

  Board membership comprises three discrete categories; The Chair and Non-Executive members; Stakeholder members (Local Authority Councillors, Chair of the Area Partnership Forum and Chair of the Area Clinical Forum), and Executive members (Chief Executive and Director of Finance etc).

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether plans are in place to ensure that the new NHS board, which will replace the extant NHS Greater Glasgow board, will fairly reflect the wider geographical area for which the board will have formal responsibility.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no plans to replace Greater Glasgow NHS Board. On 1 April, health services in the Argyll and Bute local authority area will become the responsibility of NHS Highland, while services in the local authority areas of Inverclyde, Renfrew, and those parts of East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire not already within NHS Greater Glasgow, will become the responsibility of NHS Greater Glasgow.

  NHS Greater Glasgow has recently consulted on changing its name to reflect its extended boundaries and I understand that from 1 April, NHS Greater Glasgow will be commonly known as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  The NHS Argyll and Clyde Dissolution and Integration Project Board and NHS Argyll and Clyde Dissolution and Integration Project Team comprising representatives from NHS Argyll and Clyde, NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow has been established to manage and implement the transitional and transfer arrangements necessitated as a result of dissolution.

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with NHS Greater Glasgow and other interested parties anent the composition of the new NHS board, which will incorporate the catchment area currently administered by NHS Argyll and Clyde, and how many appointments will be made to the new board.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-24002 and S2W-24003 on 15 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with appropriate interested parties anent appointments to the new NHS board, which will replace the extant NHS Greater Glasgow board; who will represent (a) hospitals and other NHS facilities which are presently the responsibility of NHS Argyll and Clyde, (b) patients and communities outwith Glasgow and (c) medical and other staff employed in those geographical areas which will come within the responsibility of the new NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Negotiations are on-going to ensure that the health care interests of patients, the public and stakeholders are catered for when responsibility transfers from the NHS Argyll and Clyde area to the new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board.

NHS Boards

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how appointments to the new NHS board which will replace NHS Greater Glasgow and part of NHS Argyll and Clyde will be made; who will be in charge of the selection and training of these appointees; how many people will be chosen to represent (a) community interests, (b) the interests of patients and (c) the interests of staff on the board and what the length of their tenure will be.

Mr Andy Kerr: The appointments process will comply with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) – Code of Practice. The selection panel will be chaired by a Director from the Scottish Executive Health Department, with the Chair of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board and an OCPAS Assessor as panel members. It is however, appropriate to note that the panel makes recommendations, but it is the Minister for Health and Community Care who makes the appointment(s). Induction and training is a matter for individual boards.

  The appointment round has been planned with a view to the recruitment of three additional non-executive members on the new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board to represent the interests of the public, patients and stakeholders in the former NHS Argyll and Clyde area. Additionally work is in hand to ensure that a Councillor from Inverclyde Council and Renfrewshire Council is represented on the new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board.

NHS Waiting Times

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23466 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 March 2006, how many out-patients on the out-patient waiting list had an availability status code at each census date for which information is available, expressed also as a percentage of all out-patients on the list.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is shown in the table.

  Since 2004, Information Services Division (ISD) has collected data on a national basis comprising an out-patient waiting list. This is a monthly census which includes information on all patients waiting to be seen at consultant-led out-patient clinics, following referral by a General Medical or Dental Practitioner. The first census data published was the out-patient waiting list on 30 September 2004, and over the ensuing months, ISD worked, and continues to work, closely with NHS boards to improve data quality.

  In the first few months following the first publication, many clinics did not have computerised waiting lists, and some NHS board areas submitted manual aggregate counts for some specialties that did not record availability status codes. Two NHS boards were not able to submit any data. Although data quality has now improved considerably, monthly comparison of outpatients with availability status codes must be undertaken with caution.

  Although the percentage of patients on the waiting list with availability status codes has increased slightly between 30 September 2004 and 31 December 2005, it is important to note that the total number of patients on the waiting list has reduced dramatically in this period - by 29%.

  Availability Status Codes for first out-patient appointments are all patient-driven - patients who declined a reasonable offer of an appointment and patients who did not attend for a pre-arranged appointment and gave no warning of their non-attendance.

  NHSScotland. Total Number of Patients on The Out-Patient Waiting List and Number and Percentage of Patients with Availability Status Codes on Each Monthly Census Date – 30 September 2004 to 31 December 2005

  

Census Date
Total Number Of 
Patients On List
Number And Percentage Of 
Patients With Availability Status Codes


30 September 2004
249,654
18,254 
7.3%


31 October 2004
248,482
15,042 
6.1%


30 November 2004
243,721
15,173 
6.2%


31 December 2004
231,105
16,127 
7.0%


31 January 2005
220,560
15,782 
7.2%


28 February 2005
199,141
15,103 
7.6%


31 March 2005
202,390
17,392 
8.6%


30 April 2005
209,420
16,866 
8.1%


31 May 2005
210,178
17,656 
8.4%


30 June 2005
209,226
18,715 
8.9%


31 July 2005
201,362
17,330 
8.6%


31 August 2005
213,745
17,353 
8.1%


30 September 2005
210,087
17,001 
8.1%


31 October 2005
201,517
17,828 
8.8%


30 November 2005
191,123
18,170 
9.5%


31 December 2005
177,339
18,633 
10.5%

Planning

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning appeals were held in each year from 2000 to 2005, following the refusal of planning permission by local authority planning committees; in how many such appeals the Reporter decided in favour of the developer and against the local authority, and in how many such appeals the local communities’ spokespeople opposed the development.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of planning appeals received each year from 2000, following refusal of planning permission by the planning authority, is provided in the following table . The table also details the number of appeals allowed and whether a community council was involved. We do not hold statistics on whether the community council opposed or supported the appeals that were allowed.

  

Year
Delegated Appeals Received
Non-Delegated 
Appeals Received
Appeals Allowed
Appeals Allowed where 
Community Council Involved


2000-01
798
9
234*
39


2001-02
818
2
222
54


2002-03
768
8
228
48


2003-04
791
8
233*
57


2004-05
848
14
293
51


2005-06
797
15
221*
46



  Note: *Includes one non-delegated appeal.

Police

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the effectiveness of body armour supplied to police forces.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish police service regularly evaluates its procedures and equipment provision to ensure that the needs of its officers are met.

Population

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to address the declining fertility rate.

Lewis Macdonald: Fertility rates are largely a product of personal choice and are not primarily a matter for the Executive. Scotland’s total fertility rate has been falling relative to other parts of the United Kingdom, although remains slightly above the EU average. Despite this downward trend over the past two decades in Scotland, it is difficult to predict future fertility levels due to the complex factors which influence fertility decline

  There are many social and environmental factors which influence successful conception, such as female bodyweight, smoking, alcohol, drug misuse and sexually transmitted diseases. Also, the widespread use of contraception amongst sexually active people, alongside social choices to have smaller families or to have no children, mean that less children are being born than in the past.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to an on-going programme of both health and sexual health improvement and the promotion of informed lifestyle choices. Longer term labour market considerations continue to be addressed through initiatives such as Fresh Talent.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners categorised as predatory paedophiles and given a determinant sentence were released in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
"Predatory paedophiles" is not a term used to disguise either Schedule 1 offenders or sex offenders and therefore not identified by the Scottish Prison Service as a separate category of offender.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sex offenders currently serving a determinant sentence have been assessed as being at (a) high risk and (b) medium risk of (i) reoffending and (ii) repeat offending upon release.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
A Sex Offender Audit took a snapshot of prisoners in custody on 18 May 2005. It indicated that there were 402 determinate sentence prisoners identified as sex offenders. The audit made no assessment of the levels of risk these individuals might represent upon release.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many child sex offenders currently held in prison have been assessed as being at high risk of repeat offending upon release.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
A Sex Offender Audit took a snapshot of prisoners in custody on 18 May 2005. It indicated that of 321 prisoners identified as Schedule 1 sex offenders 280 had been assessed for the risk posed to children and 41 were still to be assessed at that date. The audit made no assessment of the levels of risk these individual might represent upon release.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many child sex offenders currently held in prison have been assessed as being at medium risk of repeat offending upon release.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23113 on 15 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantities of drugs has been recovered in prisons through the use of sniffer dogs in the last five years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is available only for the last three years and is shown in the table:

  

 
Weight of Prohibited Drug (Grams)
No. of Prohibited Tablets


2002-03
443
701


2003-04
558
901


2004-05
274
505

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inmates who did not test positive for drugs on entry to HM Prison Kilmarnock tested positive for drugs when leaving in each of the last seven years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
The Scottish Prison Service does not have this information.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the prison population has been in each month in each of the last seven years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is as follows:

  

Month
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


April
6,159
6,183
5,914
6,256
6,435
6,525
6,948


May
6,061
6,058
5,894
6,250
6,599
6,394
6,909


June
6,029
6,032
6,034
6,286
6,644
6,482
6,938


July
5,972
6,045
6,003
6,298
6,567
6,588
6,837


August
5,945
5,952
5,953
6,260
6,497
6,665
6,868


September
6,052
6,012
5,853
6,200
6,487
6,666
6,838


October
6,021
6,007
5,817
6,205
6,484
6,618
6,731


November
6,029
5,999
5,730
6,174
6,484
6,623
6,679


December
5,845
5,835
5,656
5,976
6,325
6,548
6,598


January
5,859
5,659
5,644
5,920
6,237
6,547
6,483


February
6,116
5,904
5,951
6,151
6,411
6,807
6,749


March
6,241
5,996
6,136
6,239
6,514
6,973
6,774



  Note: Average Prison Population.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the staff costs have been for (a) HM Prison Kilmarnock since it opened in 1999 and (b) the Scottish Prison Service in total in each year since 1990.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
(a) SPS does not hold the information. 
  (b) The information requested is contained in SPS Annual Reports which are published on the SPS website at: www.sps.gov.uk.

Rail Network

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist in the delivery of a new railway station in Abronhill, identified as being desirable in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan 2000.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive will work with local and regional transport planners developing proposals for new transport projects ensuring that the proposals meet Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria. The promoters of new stations are advised to take account of the New Stations Guidance published by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2004. We have not been asked to assist with the delivery of a new railway station in Abronhill.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Rail Network

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist in the delivery of a new railway station in Mossend, identified as being desirable in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan 2000.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive will work with local and regional transport planners developing proposals for new transport projects ensuring that the proposals meet Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance criteria. The promoters of new stations are advised to take account of the New Stations Guidance published by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2004. We have not been asked to assist with the delivery of a new railway station in Mossend.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Rail Network

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist in the delivery of a new railway station in Ravenscraig, identified as being desirable in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan 2000.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is working with the Ravenscraig Partnership which is developing the proposal for a new railway station at Ravenscraig.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22493 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006, what its response would have been if the allegations did not pertain to civil aircraft.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has nothing to add to the answer to question S2W-22493. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21585 and S2W-21874 on 22 December 2005 and 23 January 2006 by Cathy Jamieson and Colin Boyd QC respectively when it states that "no specific, credible information supporting such an allegation has been brought to the attention of the police" in relation to allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of "extraordinary rendition", whether this indicates that the Executive itself has not received any "specific, credible information supporting such an allegation" and, if so, how this is its position when it has not had any discussions with Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International about their allegations that extraordinary rendition has taken place and whether it discounts Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International as credible sources of information in this area.

Cathy Jamieson: The police are responsible for conducting investigations into criminal offences and the police will act if and when there is information to justify such action. At present, no credible and reliable information has been presented to the police to justify an investigation by them.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue its response to the consultation on its review of the Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting policy and when it expects any changes in policy to come into effect.

Tavish Scott: The need to await formal council responses has delayed the end of the consultation process until 21 March 2006 when the last local authority committee approved response is expected. Thereafter Transport Scotland will publish the results and response to the consultation in mid-April. It is hoped that a revised Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting policy document will be published by the end of May 2006.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that cyclists and walkers benefit from the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Tavish Scott: The reduction of traffic on other roads will allow the development of proposals for their safer use by cyclists in line with the trunk road cycling initiative. Reduced traffic will also improve pedestrian safety and assist in the pedestrianisation of Union Street.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to minimise the disruption to cyclists and walkers using the area around the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it is making to include cycling provision as part of the new roads corridor arising from the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23278 15 March 2006. Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to have on traffic levels on roads surrounding the roads corridor.

Tavish Scott: Traffic levels on roads surrounding the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route are generally expected to fall significantly as through traffic transfers to the new road. Traffic modelling is still being refined and the impact at junctions will be assessed in discussion with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure vehicle through traffic is channelled onto the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Tavish Scott: The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will provide quicker more direct and more reliable journeys to and from points north, west and south of Aberdeen, and this will naturally encourage through traffic to use it. Road signing will also ensure that travellers are aware of destinations served by the road.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that sustainable transport users benefit from the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Tavish Scott: The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will connect existing and proposed park and ride sites around the city. Removal of through traffic and reduction of traffic on city streets will allow the reallocation of road space to buses and cyclists and make bus journeys particularly on radial routes much more reliable. Reduction of traffic will make walking safer and more pleasant. This will all benefit existing users and encourage greater take up by others.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the design brief for the bridges over the rivers Don and Dee as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will include an option for a light user path to enable cyclists and walkers to benefit from the route.

Tavish Scott: We do not at the present time envisage such options being included as the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is proposed as a Special Road on which cyclists and pedestrians will be prohibited for reasons of safety. Discussions are on-going with local authority partners on the best way to integrate local paths and cycleways into the final design, however, and no final decisions have been taken.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a timetable of action in respect of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, including details of when it anticipates the public inquiry to take place, when the final route will be agreed, when the land required will be acquired, when it anticipates compensation claims will be settled and when the route will be fully operational.

Tavish Scott: Outline programme information is available on the Transport Scotland website: www.transportscotland.gov.uk .

  Following my announcement of the preferred route on 1 December detailed engineering and environmental work is now underway with the aim of narrowing down the road corridor in April and then publishing a draft special road scheme setting out the line proposed for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and link to Stonehaven this is part of the AWPR, and an Environmental Statement at the end of 2006. Other road orders and a CPO will follow.

  I would expect a Public Local Inquiry to be held towards the end of 2007. Following the Reporter’s recommendations, if it is then decided to proceed with the scheme, line orders and compulsory purchase orders would be expected to be made in 2008. Settlement of compensation claims for land acquired would normally follow the making of these orders.

  Subject to the satisfactory completion of these procedures the earliest start for construction is 2009 with the road opening to traffic late 2011.

  This is an operational matter for Transport Scotland who can be contacted for further information if required.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers the results of its study into traffic levels, as reported in The Herald on 15 February 2006, will have in respect of the proposed upgrade of the A80.

Tavish Scott: Measures have been developed to stabilise traffic on the M80 route. This issue was addressed at the Public Local Inquiry held in October 2005 to consider the objections to the published draft road orders. The Reporter submitted his report in February and it is now under active consideration. A decision will be announced in due course.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the results of its study into traffic levels, as reported in The Herald on 15 February 2006, will have on the road haulage industry.

Tavish Scott: The Faber Maunsell study Term Commission for the Evaluation and Review of Local Authority Road Traffic Reduction Targets was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and published on 13 February 2006.

  Evidence suggests that road traffic levels are still rising. Increasing traffic levels could affect the road haulage industry’s ability to operate effectively and efficiently with the risk that journey times increase and become less reliable. We are currently developing a National Freight Strategy for Scotland which will ensure that the needs of the freight industry are taken into account in the development of transport policies.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect slow-moving traffic would have on the human environment of those living close to the route of the new motorway resulting from the proposed upgrade of the A80.

Tavish Scott: Noise and air pollution are assessed in the environmental appraisal for the scheme. An Environmental Statement was published with the draft Orders and is available on the Transport Scotland website. A supplementary study was carried out into the public health impacts of the scheme. This concluded that there would be no measurable impacts on health as a result of the proposed scheme.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the last safety audit was carried out on the A726 and which parts of the route were covered by this audit.

Tavish Scott: Every year the Scottish Executive carries out an analysis of accidents that have occurred on the trunk road network in Scotland. The A726 is reviewed annually as part of this process.

  Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to carry out a safety audit on the A726 between Strathaven and East Kilbride and whether it is aware of any safety study being carried out on this stretch of road by any other authority, agency or company.

Tavish Scott: The A726 between Strathaven and East Kilbride is a local road and is therefore the responsibility of South Lanarkshire Council as the local roads authority.

  The Scottish Executive and Transport Scotland have no knowledge of any safety audit being carried out on this route.

Roads

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22494 by Tavish Scott on 30 January 2006, whether this answer indicates that its sole rationale for bypassing Muirhead, Chryston and Moodiesburn is for the practical purpose that "the appropriate standards could not be achieved by an online upgrade" on the route of the A80 at these towns and whether, if it was possible to upgrade the A80 to full motorway status along the entirety of its route, this would be its preferred option, meaning that no bypass would be built at these towns.

Tavish Scott: Upgrading the road through these settlements raises a number of difficulties along the route including the number of existing accesses and the space available for widening.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Sex Offenders

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are on the sex offenders’ register and, of these, how many are on the register for life.

Cathy Jamieson: At 1 February 2006, 3,068 registered sex offenders were recorded by the Scottish Criminal Record Office as being administered by Scottish Police Forces. This information is now available on the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s Publication Scheme found at: http://www.scro.police.uk/foi/?id=28 .

  The period of time an individual is subject to the registration requirements is held on ViSOR (Violent Offender and Sex Offender Register), the IT database which enables the police to share information and intelligence on registered and unregistered sex offenders, violent offenders, dangerous offenders and potentially dangerous persons. The publication or release of information held on ViSOR is a matter for police forces individually and collectively to consider.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale was for the formation of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.

Tavish Scott: The Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) was created to oversee the operation, management and maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge and has a wider scope of responsibility than the former joint board. FETA was given these wider powers, including the powers to promote road user charging schemes, to allow it to prepare and implement a strategy for transportation.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 1 March 2006, when it estimates that it will be in a position to announce whether a new crossing over the Forth will be necessary and, should such a crossing prove necessary, what its design would be, how much it would cost and how its construction would be funded.

Tavish Scott: The Executive will not be in a position to make an announcement on the need for a replacement crossing of the Forth until the Forth Estuary Transport Authority has concluded a number of concurrent technical investigations and the Executive has completed its early considerations for a replacement crossing as part of the strategic projects review. The scope and form of any such replacement crossing, its cost and funding mechanism will not be determined until later in the process.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Voluntary Sector

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how Futurebuilders Scotland funding has contributed to the growth of social enterprise.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
Futurebuilders Scotland provides funding to support the development of a stronger social economy to deliver more and better public services for people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods or groups. Futurebuilders Scotland is an investment to achieve a step change in the organisation.


  To date the Futurebuilders Scotland Funds have provided grant funding of:

  
Investment Fund - 44 approvals for £6,206,660.
  Learning Fund – 88 approvals for £387,351.
  Seedcorn Fund - 196 approvals for £5,713,749.


  Detailed evaluation will take place over the remaining 18 months of the Futurebuilders Scotland programme. The outputs will include details of how the programme has helped develop the growth of the social economy sector, which includes social enterprises.

Waste Management

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the exemption for petroleum coke from the Waste Incineration Directive provides a possible precedent for a similar exemption for tallow.

Rhona Brankin: Petroleum coke is not exempted from the Waste Incineration Directive (WID). Only material which is waste as defined in the Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC, as amended) falls to be regulated under WID. The European Court of Justice has decided that where petroleum coke is produced through a deliberate choice in the refining industry and is subsequently certain to be re-used it does not constitute a waste, and consequently falls under neither Directive. If the petroleum coke were to be discarded, however, it would fall under both Directives.

  Tallow, on the other hand, is an inevitable residue of a waste treatment process (i.e. the rendering of animals). Furthermore, the EC Animal By-Products Regulation (1774/2002/EC) specifically requires tallow to be disposed of as waste in accordance with WID. For both these reasons, tallow falls within the meaning of "discard" and is thus waste under the Waste Framework Directive, and therefore within the scope of WID.

Young People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22762 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 March 2006, how it plans to extend secure accommodation by 29 places.

Cathy Jamieson: A shortlist of five current and potential providers selected was selected on 20 December 2002. They were invited to provide more detailed proposals and costs to deliver the 29 place increase and modernise the secure estate overall. Distribution of the additional 29 places was announced on 24 March 2003.

  Glasgow City Council, one of the providers announced at that time, announced on 15 October 2004 their intention to withdraw from the redevelopment of Kerelaw School. The 12 places Kerelaw would have provided will now be provided at the Good Shepherd Centre and at St Phillips.

  When complete by 2007 the secure estate will therefore consist of 125 places, distributed as follows:

  
24 mixed at St Philip’s (opened 6 March 2006)
  18 girls only at Good Shepherd (due to open June 2006)
  18 boys only at Kibble (due to open spring 2007)
  18 mixed at Rossie (due to be redeveloped by December 2007)
  31 mixed at St Mary’s (existing provision)
  12 mixed in Edinburgh (existing provision)
  4 mixed in The Elms (existing provision).